Oops! All Some Things 2025
with guest recommendations from some friends <3
heads up! this one’s too long for email. you might want to read it in your browser/the Substack app!
On Monday I’m going to go to the collision center and clean out my totaled car, littered with artifacts from almost 10 years of my stupid quotidian life. I’m mapping out the topography of the interior and all its peaks and valleys and caves and crevices so I don’t miss anything. One Shania Twain CD in the player, another Shania Twain CD in a case stacked in the console. Emergency menstrual pad in the glove box, emergency soccer pump in the back seat. Emergency glasses, emergency sunglasses. Emergency copy of the Quran atop the emergency copy of the US Constitution, from when I was more religious and had more faith in American institutions, respectively. Airtag I hid in the body of the car, which I remembered literally just now. Shit!!
I started feeling nauseous yesterday at the dealership from the idea of new cars and tens of thousands of dollars. It wasn’t even for me—I’m taking my dad’s old car. But I worried I couldn’t be trusted with anything, not even a test drive. I would only mess it up; I’m worse at driving than I thought. Just because you do something a lot doesn’t mean you’re any good at it. But I was maybe more uneasy at the thought of putting so much into something new. A big shift, a change of surroundings.
I have been home at my parents’ house all week after squashing our beef (crying on the phone with my mom then a tacit agreement not to talk about it for now). To distract us, we listen to babble, then repeat it: “Da da da da da da.” “ba ba ba ba ba.” “Pffffft.” “Ahhh!” My one-year-old nephew has lit up our world with his eight-toothed smile. My cousin (his mom) keeps apologizing for the mess, as if we aren’t reveling in it. As if we weren’t praying for his fingerprints to smudge up the window on our backyard door and pull apart our houseplants. We are obsessed with his fingers and toes and his careful swaying while he walks, keeping balance for as long as he can. I spent 10 minutes today throwing a wool ball up the stairs so he could delight in watching it tumble down. I could never tire of him, I think.
Time leaves traces as it passes, and we keep them close then far away then close again. I forget about the emergency pad in my car until I open the glove box and think, “when did I put that thing there?” I notice time passing only when I see my baby nephew, every few months, with more teeth and longer hair and a new Piagetian sub-stage of development. Or when a deer makes the car I’ve driven for nearly 10 years uninsurable. What a funny accident when we can feel, in these ways, that the Earth has been turning all along.
Some-Things Special from Friends of Hyperfixations
“Some thing” special this year <3 I’ve asked friends to share their own ‘some things’ in the form of either recommendations or resolutions for the new year. Sorta like an in/out list but everything is IN. I’m including them here, before my own list of “some things.” They’re organized by category:
& you can jump straight to my ‘some things’ by clicking here, if you desire.
ENJOY!
Objects, Products, & Media
Raewyn: Index Cards
I’ve always admired Raewyn’s ability to tap into things that are classic for a reason, like her rec:
“Index cards are in for 2026. Specifically, for me: lighting a candle on Sunday, sitting without my phone, and listing things I want to do that week on an index card in my nicest handwriting. Then: doing some or even most of those things. There were two months this year when I was doing this on a regular basis and felt like I had control over my life, so I recommend that practice but also other uses of index cards, which I think are timeless and handsome.”
Jenny: Snacks and dry shampoo
To snack on, Jenny recommends:
“Torres chips (ALL THE FLAVORS - this year I discovered the Iberian ham one which is perfect for salty snack lovers), Undercover Quinoa crisps, Tony’s Chocolonely Caramel Lil Bits, Drizzilicious (which I was really skeptical about initially, but are actually good).” Jenny’s an elite snacker, FYI, so you should take these seriously.
For keeping your locks fresh and fun:
“Crown Affair dry shampoo. God-tier in its blendability and effectiveness. Last year I started shopping at Sephora, and I’m sad to say that the white people kinda cooked with this one. I was using the Living Proof dry shampoo before this and while it’s also really good, it’s 2 tiers below this one.”
Shamma: Go to the south and fly back with carrot cake
“Publix carrot cake (bar shaped) is so good you shouldn’t just have it there. Please take it with you. It is an elite combination of moist carrot cake, walnuts, and cream cheese frosting at a perfect ratio. no raisins OBVIOUSLY. At $8.95 this is my dreams realized truly made better than any fancy bakery.”
Shamma is @phoenixwright on kpop twitter
Hannah: “Chef and my Fridge”
“I am absolutely obsessed with ‘Chef and my Fridge,’ a Korean cooking show where celebrity guests bring their whole refrigerator and thematic ‘orders’ for what they’d want (e.g. ‘bar food,’ ‘celebratory meal’) and chefs compete against each other for each one.
Cooking shows can feel so overly dramatic, but not this one. It is so damn silly and as the season goes on, you watch as running jokes between all the chefs develop. Each episode feels like an entry into a fun, but competitive, hangout between good friends. Like any good cooking show you still get to marvel at the things they create (or lol at them, some are kind of insane). HIGHLY RECOMMEND.”
Dara: “The Hills” by Rachel Chinouriri
“Hope it’s not cringe to submit a piece of art from 2024 [ed. note - it’s not!], but this song by the adored and fabulous Rachel Chinouriri was an important staple song for my 2025 year.”
I went more internal this year than I usually do. I’ve been trying to see inside the spaces of myself I usually don’t look at, to see what role they have in Me. I’m still working on it but this song resonated with me because it’s about the feeling of non-belonging and I find it strikes me new every time I listen.”
Community & Social Life
Kiana: Have people over for a meal
Kiana is CEO and chief executive of (A) good food, and (B) making friends with the coolest people around.
“I’m recommending sharing food with friends in any way you please. This year, I joined a cookbook club where we’ve cooked various cuisines, enjoyed two Michelin-starred meals (my first at Albi—incredible!—and the second at Tail Up Goat with PM herself) and had lovely breakfasts, dinners, and coffees with new friends and neighbors. Since 2025 felt bleak in numerous ways, sharing meals with friends, new and old, reinforced the importance and magic of community. My wish for 2026 is that all of you invite at least one person to your home for a meal... because honestly, when was the last time you did that?”
Kiana is @Kianawalk on Instagram, “where i almost exclusively post food on my stories and if you’re in the DMV maybe we can share a meal :)”
Jayne: Monthly game nights (or something of the sort)
I hope this isn’t doxxing them, but Jayne and Kiana are roommates, and I’m sort of a Kramer/Kimmy Gibbler type figure in their house, much to the chagrin of their other roommate’s anxious dog who hates guests. Anyway, they’re always hosting something delightful:
“After saying ‘we need to have more game nights’ for AGES, my roommates and I finally decided to implement a monthly one: We keep a standing date clear on our calendars, pick a game or two we want to play, and invite a few people to join us.”
It’s been a great way to integrate our friend groups, welcome new friends and neighbors, dust off board games we’ve been meaning to play, and just have something to look forward to in the middle of a dreary work week (or month). I’m so lucky to have roommates I get along with and the space to host so many, so I’m savoring these opportunities as long as I have them. Perhaps you, too, could do a monthly game night! Or craft night? Movie night? Cocktail night? Dessert night? ‘I love my friends’ night? The world is your oyster!”
In lieu of a plug Jayne recommends you “watch The Pitt which returns on January 8 xoxo”
Maddie: Watch a movie! In a theater! With your friends!
For the past year, Maddie has corralled people with the busiest of schedules for “movie club,” where we delight in the latest flicks to hit the silver screen:
“Imagine this—you’re lounging in the plush leather seats of a Landmark (or an AMC, or whatever suits your fancy) next to your best pals. The lights dim, someone pulls out a bag of popcorn and/or M&Ms; the communal snacks are passed down the row. You’re crying, laughing, guffawing, sighing, gasping, and everything in between. All of you emerge at the end of the movie and linger in the lobby talking about what you just watched. You do this at least once a month (though often more) for the entirety of the year. It’s electric. Friendship feels good in a place like this.”
Movie club gets a special +1 from Anya (whose resolution is below!): “The ritual of going to Safeway and getting peanut butter M&Ms knowing I’m about to meet my friends and have my phone off for 90+ minutes while we have an experience together has I think changed my life and I cannot wait to continue next year.” And another +1 from me. Can’t wait for the Movie Club Oscars soon…
Maddie is @maddieht on Letterboxd
Aline: Go stag
“Going to Things (parties, poetry readings, a free dance class you learned about from Instagram—literally whatever) by yourself when you don’t already know anyone there and being open to whatever vibes might be cast your way.
As someone who is not immune to incredible neuroses about these things, my essential case for doing it alone and potentially scared is that there’s something deeply invigorating about entering a new social situation as a sort of blank-slate character, totally unweighted by any knowledge of existing dynamics. You have ‘fool’s privilege,’ so to speak, to ask questions that might be inane and/or a faux pas for someone in the regular cast to pose. It makes you objectively the best sounding board for any gossip and/or venting that other attendees feel compelled to share! You literally have everything (friendship, a juicy anecdote, a new skill) to gain and nothing to lose (you can always hit the bricks if it’s not fun, and no one can judge you for ditching because, again, they do not know you).”
Aline is @alinedolinh on Instagram, @alineailinh on Twitter
Political & Self Actualization
Muthu: N.P.S.
“Recommendation as well as resolution for 2026, 2027, rest of my life, etc.—NPS. IYKYK, but for the uninitiated NPS is ‘No Pushover Spirit.’ I can do little to improve upon the explanation/poetry of the original author, but in summary one can take it to mean: grit your teeth and get through it.
I moved to a new city to start a new life this year in the thick of winter, and there were stretches in Q1 2025 where I felt like I never saw the sun — literally and metaphorically. In that sunless hellscape though, I found these 3 letters. Things got better with work. Summer came, and it was remarkable. But what happened in summer happened, and now we are in winter again, and I am in a bit of a dull patch... So NPS is once again on my mind, and maybe yours too now. Time to close the year strong.”
Muthu is plugging this website.
Maame: Forget the long list of resolutions
“I’m borderline perfect. I have very few flaws, except for the big glaring ones my mom always reminds me of. And everyone loves me, aside from the masses who don’t know me, the people who don’t like me, and the handful who hate my guts.
Despite my perfectness, when Pegah asked me to share my resolutions for 2026 I had a few weighing on my mind; far too many to list and each felt important and necessary to my growth in the coming year that to single one out felt unwise. If I could boil my resolutions down into a phrase it would be this: get a little bit better at being myself and a little more focused on being my happiest. And I got to thinking, maybe that should just be my resolution instead of my laundry list of minimum gym attendance and at home meals and date minimums. So now that’s my only resolution because it’s my life and I make the rules.”
Maame is @duhmaame on Tiktok and Instagram
John: Travel more
“My resolution for 2026 is to travel more. There’s plenty of valid reasons to be skeptical of travel - the environmental harms of air travel, potential harms to local communities, the shallowness of travel influencers.
Still, after close to a month spent traveling in Asia, I believe that there’s no better way to shatter one’s illusions about the way the world must be structured than to visit someplace where you must cede the authority of being a local. I confess that like many others, I find myself becoming jaded about life in the US. In a way that’s hard to articulate, traveling has provided an antidote for my arrogant pessimism. The cities I have visited have shown me so many new slices of life to love, and a newfound respect for the sheer diversity of human life has also, I believe, sown new seeds of gratitude for the life I have in San Francisco.”
Also, now that I am older, I have more friendships scattered across the globe. Life is short, and I want to see my friends in the places that they call home!”
John is ordinary instants on Substack
Hadiyah: Read more erotica for your brain and body
“This year I recommend everyone read more erotica. Have you ever tried to insert your menstrual cup for the third time in one day and thought ‘yeesh, my vagina is so stretched, I worry it won’t be able to handle a cup anymore?’ Or perhaps you’ve had a moment this year where you’ve thought, ‘I know it’s good for my self-care routine to masturbate regularly and also I don’t want my clitoris to fall off from disuse... but I’m too tired to do anything about that.’
As someone who has had both these thoughts multiple times, I think it’s critical to remind yourself you’re not alone. There are (fictional) people getting two erect penises crammed inside their vagina along with another penis in their anus who still manage to insert a menstrual cup the next day. There are (fictional) people who have managed to find their sexual peak later in life after being made to mate with a half man/half bull, even though they have been neglecting their self-care routine for a while.
The point is that setting aside a bit of time in your week to read some erotica you enjoy can help keep your brain and body nice and spry while also generating creative ideas. You might also find you want to experiment with some of the things you read about in real life! I read actual trash, so that has not been the case for me, but hey, there’s something for everyone out there.
“If you don’t know what you like, I recommend starting with some traditionally published erotic fiction, perhaps Bride by Ali Hazelwood, Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver, or Ruby Dixon’s Bull Moon Rising. Once you’ve had your fill of those, move on (with caution) to self-published works such as C.M. Nascosta’s Morning Glory Milking Farm or Sierra Simone’s Priest. I’m always here for recommendations and cheers to many good wanks in 2026!”
Siddarth: Doomerism is out, revolutionary optimism is IN!
“I first turned to mutual aid in 2020 out of a desire to Just Do Something. But 5 years later, I was starting to feel disillusioned. Food distribution wasn’t laying the basis for broader political activity or organizing. Instead, the lines were only getting longer and the volunteers more burnt out. Then, late last year, I ran into some communists on the street, who handed me a pamphlet called ‘Marxism and Mutual Aid’ (Marxism and Mutual Aid: How Do Communists Prepare for Revolution?). Curious but cautious, I started attending weekly meetings and asking a million questions patiently answered by other comrades. I slowly became convinced of the need to build an international movement dedicated to overthrowing capitalism. I joined as a member, contributed to and sold our newspaper, and talked to strangers all over about communism: on the streets, at protests, at parties, and at picket lines.
The last year has given me a clarity of purpose I haven’t felt since school. I rediscovered a passion for philosophy and political theory, ideas I had previously dismissed as useless talking that didn’t accomplish anything real, only this time at a higher level: not in the service of personal prestige or ego, but in direct connection to the burning question of ‘what is to be done?’ I won’t pretend I have the answer to every question, or that I never have any doubts about anything. But for the first time, I feel it’s possible to start finding answers.”
If you’re curious about finding those answers with Sid, “please hit me up on my communist burner email: siddarth.anand@proton.me”
Routines and Lifestyle
Miss Emmie: Cook with what you’ve got
Miss Emmie has (1) a recommendation to try the “crispy gingery beef recipe by Carla Lalli Music (youtube vid here),” and (2) a resolution to challenge herself to cook with ingredients she already has lying around:
“I recently went to Alison Roman’s book tour for her new book Something from Nothing & the concept is essentially ‘simple, pantry-focused recipes that create impressive meals’ & I’m trying to be creative and sustainable and do more of that this year.”
+ a bonus from Emmie’s bf Tyler for the shorter-haired among us:
“out...(kinda) modern mullet. in...warrior cut & maaaaybe a tim chalamet marty supreme buzz cut.”
Anya: No more ‘I have nothing to wear!’
“This feels exceedingly stupid and frivolous [ed. note - it’s not!] but this year I’d like to catalogue my wardrobe using one of the apps that do that now. For the last 2 years I’ve limited my clothing purchases (25 items in 2024, 20 in 2025, TBD in 2026) + kept a wishlist of things I want (including but not limited to the sneakerina, which I don’t want to want, and a decent pair of chic little gorpy sneakers and a sweater that is this dreamy shade of blue) it has 1) made me think more intentionally about the pieces I buy, 2) saved me money, 3) really made the act of getting dressed more interesting and creative, which is a nice thing.”
But I still often feel like I have NOTHING TO WEAR!!! And I hope that cataloguing will help with that feeling. A corollary to this is that I’d like to have a clothing swap except it’s where we help each other style a piece of clothing we like but don’t really know what to do with, but I haven’t figured quite out how to do that yet, if anyone has any ideas on how to actualize that.”
Catch Anya in 2026 “taking pictures of every single piece of clothing I own like a total freak! @anyascloset on Indyx for the real weirdos 😘”
Shamma again: Take home hotpot leftovers
Last one from the goat.
“Everyone is so full of SOUP and HALAL WAGYU that no one wants to take home the vegetables after (meat-pilled world). hotpot sauce mixes (I like oyster, hoisin, mushroom, chili oil, cilantro, soy sauce and a splash of ponzu) are so yummy stir-fried with Napa cabbage and bok choy. I love caramelized enoki!!”
finally, my own ‘some things’ for the year!
Movies
Thanks to the aforementioned movie club and multiple trans-continental flights, I watched way more movies than usual this year. My notes app count has us at 29 for the year!
My favorite films I watched this year were Conclave, The Apprentice, Ma (at Nitya’s bachelorette party specifically), No Other Land, One Battle After Another, It Was Just an Accident, and a few short films as part of the DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival:
My favorites were Born a Celebrity (dir. Luay Awwad) and I Never Promised You A Jasmine Garden (dir. Teyama Alkamli)
Most joyous film watching experiences of films that were not very good was Materialists and Ella McCay. I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to watch these films with my friends all lined up in a row in the theater!!!
Books
I barely read anything this year, sorry. It’s because I’m getting stupider every second.
I am not exaggerating when I say reading Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte this year changed my life, expanded my world, helped me realize I was being a huge loser.
I also delighted in All Things are Too Small by Becca Rothfeld. Essays that are smart and pointed without sacrificing style.
Open by Andre Agassi — type of shit you wanna call “A Triumph.”
TV
My favorite shows of the year were The Rehearsal S2 and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, of course.
And oh my goddddd how could I forget the year of The Summer I Turned Pretty, one of the most confusing and addicting shows I’ve ever encountered.
Music + Concerts
The best shows I went to this year were This Is Lorelei at DC9 and Seventeen at Capital One Arena, with Shamma. DC9 is a 250-cap venue and Capital One is 20,000. Both felt transcendent in dramatically different ways, for maybe obvious reasons. I think Korea is the future.
Art
New category alert!
I really adored going to the Dia:Beacon and the Glenstone museum this year. I keep seeing On Kawara pieces on time that are sort of haunting and heartening. On theme for annual reflection (one pictured above).
I also keep thinking about this piece I saw this summer at Studio Gallery in DC, a portrait of nine common food allergens. By DMV-based photographer Connor Tracy:
Misc
Here’s where stuff gets good
I’ve long unsubscribed from NYT games. I’ve tried other xws like the NYer (don’t love the constructions/voice) and indies like AVCX (annoying to have to install the files), but I yearn for NYTXW. Years and years ago I got a book of NYT Tuesday crosswords and I picked it back up this year. Great for the plane, a long Telugu wedding ceremony, or to leave out on a table and see what gets filled.
Something huge this summer (and last summer) involved going to the municipal pool with my homies and cannonballing/diving into the deep end. I love the pool so much. Even if there is a pervert who is also a regular at the pool. #ThePervert
I went to three bestie weddings this year, all of which made me cry (of course). I think weddings rock, despite all the baggage around the institution of marriage. I love going to a big party to celebrate love where everyone gives speeches about how amazing my friends are. And you get to wear a beautiful outfit.
One thing I loved all year was going to the local “leftist dive bar” on Thursday nights to have a shirley temple and sing something horrible. People sing, like, Neutral Milk Hotel deep cuts. There’s an older gentleman who sings “Story of my Life” every week. I sang the Logic suicide song and brought the house down. There used to be a waitress who was kind of bad at her job but she moved and it was sad saying goodbye. One of my favorite things in DC, really!!
Highly recommend getting botox in your armpits for the summer. Thanks Michelle for putting me on to this.
Lastly, My Resolutions
Update on 2025 resolutions:
I did not get more money, but I did get more hoes and finally my own hoe. maybe i will write something on this at some point
Just abject failure on juggling a soccer ball
I just got a pair of glasses I like more. and monthlies I now wear to run and play soccer.
My toenails grew back <3
I did not submit a story or essay to a publication, but I am not too pressed — I feel like I wrote so much for work (basically 4 publications this year! + an op ed!)
For 2026:
Juggle a soccer ball 10+ times
Graduate and get a job [and new apartment, due to new job]
Each month I want to pick a topic to learn something new about. Mostly 20th century world history because I feel stupid :( Taking requests for January…
+ some broader things that are not really goals or resolutions. moreso things to incorporate into my life practice (like more painting/drawing/sculpture/art) but I fear I can’t hold more than 3 things in my head for a full year.
I think that’s all for this extravaganza. if you made it this far, thanks for sticking around. this is a huge pleasure for me to do, and I’m glad I do it, and even gladder that some people read. Happy new year, gang. Love ya!
XOXO
PM
read this waiting to deplane. my only wish is it were longer